The One Path to Liberation: Conquering the Faults

Verse 1 (12.280.1)

मोक्षः पितामहेनोक्त उपायान्नानुपायतः । तमुपायं यथान्यायं श्रोतुमिच्छामि भारत ॥

mokṣaḥ pitāmahenokta upāyānnānupāyataḥ | tamupāyaṃ yathānyāyaṃ śrotumicchāmi bhārata

“You have said that liberation comes by the means and not without the means. That means, as it rightly is, I wish to hear, O Bharata.”

Verse 2 (12.280.2)

त्वय्येवैतन्महाप्राज्ञ युक्तं निपुणदर्शनम् । यदुपायेन सर्वार्थं नित्यं मृगयसेऽनघ ॥

tvayyevaitanmahāprājña yuktaṃ nipuṇadarśanam | yadupāyena sarvārthaṃ nityaṃ mṛgayase'nagha

“It is fitting in you, O man of great wisdom, of keen insight, that you always seek every aim by the proper means, O blameless one.

Verse 3 (12.280.3)

करणे घटस्य या बुद्धिर्घटोत्पत्तौ न सा मता । एवं धर्माभ्युपायेषु नान्यद्धर्मेषु कारणम् ॥

karaṇe ghaṭasya yā buddhirghaṭotpattau na sā matā | evaṃ dharmābhyupāyeṣu nānyaddharmeṣu kāraṇam

The thought that goes to the making of a pot is not held to be the thought at the pot's coming into being. So too, among the means to dharma, there is no other cause in matters of dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्माभ्यपायेषु → धर्माभ्युपायेषु (misprint in Wikisource; अभ्यपाय is not a word in context; the CE reads dharmābhyupāyeṣu). The first line differs from CE 12.266.3 (na sānagha for न सा मता) as a recension variant and is kept.

Verse 4 (12.280.4)

पूर्वे समुद्रे यः पन्थाः स न गच्छति पश्चिमम् । एकः पन्था हि मोक्षस्य तन्मे विस्तरतः शृणु ॥

pūrve samudre yaḥ panthāḥ sa na gacchati paścimam | ekaḥ panthā hi mokṣasya tanme vistarataḥ śṛṇu

The road that goes to the eastern sea does not go to the western. There is but one road to liberation; hear it from me in detail.

Verse 5 (12.280.5)

क्षमया क्रोधमुच्छिन्द्यात्कामं संकल्पवर्जनात् । सत्वसंसेवनाद्धीरो निद्रामुच्छेत्तुमर्हति ॥

kṣamayā krodhamucchindyātkāmaṃ saṃkalpavarjanāt | satvasaṃsevanāddhīro nidrāmucchettumarhati

By forbearance one should cut off anger, desire by giving up resolves; by cultivating sattva the steadfast man ought to cut off sleep.

Note on the text: Corrected सत्वसंसेवानद्धीरो → सत्वसंसेवनाद्धीरो (misprint in Wikisource; संसेवानद् is not a word, the CE reads sattvasaṃsevanād dhīro).

Verse 6 (12.280.6)

अप्रमादाद्भयं रक्षेच्छ्वासं क्षेत्रज्ञशीलनात् । इच्छां द्वेषं च कामं च धैर्येण विनिवर्तयेत् ॥

apramādādbhayaṃ rakṣecchvāsaṃ kṣetrajñaśīlanāt | icchāṃ dveṣaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca dhairyeṇa vinivartayet

By vigilance one should guard against fear, and against restless breath by attending to the knower of the field; wish, aversion and desire he should turn back by steadiness.

Verse 7 (12.280.7)

भ्रमं संमोहमावर्तमभ्यासाद्विनिवर्तयेत् । निद्रां चाप्रतिभां चैव ज्ञानाभ्यासेन तत्त्ववित् ॥

bhramaṃ saṃmohamāvartamabhyāsādvinivartayet | nidrāṃ cāpratibhāṃ caiva jñānābhyāsena tattvavit

Confusion, bewilderment and whirling thought he should turn back by practice; sleep and dullness of mind, by the practice of knowledge, the knower of the truth.

Verse 8 (12.280.8)

उपद्रवांस्तथा रोगान्हितजीर्णमिताशनात् । लोभं मोहं च संतोषाद्विषयांस्तत्त्वदर्शनात् ॥

upadravāṃstathā rogānhitajīrṇamitāśanāt | lobhaṃ mohaṃ ca saṃtoṣādviṣayāṃstattvadarśanāt

Troubles and diseases he should turn back by wholesome, easily digested and measured food; greed and delusion by contentment; the objects of the senses by seeing the truth.

Verse 9 (12.280.9)

अनुक्रोशादधर्मं च जयेद्धर्ममवेक्षया । आयत्या च जयेदाशामर्थं सङ्गविवर्जनात् ॥

anukrośādadharmaṃ ca jayeddharmamavekṣayā | āyatyā ca jayedāśāmarthaṃ saṅgavivarjanāt

Unrighteousness he should conquer by compassion, and dharma by close consideration; hope by looking to what lies ahead, and wealth by giving up attachment.

Verse 10 (12.280.10)

अनित्यत्वेन च स्नेहं क्षुधं योगेन पण्डितः । कारुण्येनात्मनो मानं तृष्णां च परितोषतः ॥

anityatvena ca snehaṃ kṣudhaṃ yogena paṇḍitaḥ | kāruṇyenātmano mānaṃ tṛṣṇāṃ ca paritoṣataḥ

The wise man should conquer affection by seeing impermanence, hunger by yoga, pride by compassion, and thirst by contentment.

Verse 11 (12.280.11)

उत्थानेन जयेत्तन्द्रीं वितर्कं निश्चयाज्जयेत् । मौनेन बहुभाषां च शौर्येण च भयं जयेत् ॥

utthānena jayettandrīṃ vitarkaṃ niścayājjayet | maunena bahubhāṣāṃ ca śauryeṇa ca bhayaṃ jayet

Sloth he should conquer by exertion, idle speculation by firm resolve; much talking by silence, and fear by heroism.

Verse 12 (12.280.12)

यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी बुद्ध्या तां यच्छेज्ज्ञानचक्षुषा । ज्ञानमात्मा महान्यच्छेत्तं यच्छेज्ज्ञानमात्मनः ॥

yacchedvāṅmanasī buddhyā tāṃ yacchejjñānacakṣuṣā | jñānamātmā mahānyacchettaṃ yacchejjñānamātmanaḥ

He should restrain speech and mind by the intellect, and that by the eye of knowledge. Let the great Self restrain knowledge, and let knowledge of the Self restrain that.

Note on the text: Corrected यच्छेद्वाङ्भनसी → यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म, the CE reads vāṅmanasī). Line 2 ends ज्ञानमात्मनः where CE 12.266.12c has śāntir ātmanaḥ; the page's own note gives the CE star line 12.266.12d*0722_01 as another reading. Kept as a recension variant.

Verse 13 (12.280.13)

तदेतदुपशान्तेन बोद्धव्यं शुचिकर्मणा । योगदोषान्समुच्छिद्यात्पञ्च यान्कवयो विदुः ॥

tadetadupaśāntena boddhavyaṃ śucikarmaṇā | yogadoṣānsamucchidyātpañca yānkavayo viduḥ

This is to be understood by one who is calm and pure in his acts, having cut off the five faults of yoga which the sages know.

Verse 14 (12.280.14)

कामं क्रोधं च लोभं च भयं स्वप्नं च पञ्चमम् । परित्यज्य निषेवेत तथेमान्योगसाधनान् ॥

kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca lobhaṃ ca bhayaṃ svapnaṃ ca pañcamam | parityajya niṣeveta tathemānyogasādhanān

Desire, anger, greed, fear, and sleep as the fifth: giving these up, he should practise these aids to yoga.

Verse 15 (12.280.15)

ध्यानमध्ययनं दानं सत्यं ह्रीरार्जवं क्षमा । शौचमाहारतः शुद्धिरिन्द्रियाणां च संयमः ॥

dhyānamadhyayanaṃ dānaṃ satyaṃ hrīrārjavaṃ kṣamā | śaucamāhārataḥ śuddhirindriyāṇāṃ ca saṃyamaḥ

Meditation, study, giving, truthfulness, modesty, uprightness, forbearance, purity, purity of the senses through food, and restraint of the senses.

Verse 16 (12.280.16)

एतैर्विवर्धते तेजः पाप्मानमपहन्ति च । सिध्यन्ति चास्य संकल्पा विज्ञानं च प्रवर्तते ॥

etairvivardhate tejaḥ pāpmānamapahanti ca | sidhyanti cāsya saṃkalpā vijñānaṃ ca pravartate

By these his radiance grows and he destroys sin; his resolves succeed and knowledge goes forth.

Verse 17 (12.280.17)

धूतपापः स तेजस्वी लध्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः । कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद्ब्रह्मणः पदम् ॥

dhūtapāpaḥ sa tejasvī ladhvāhāro jitendriyaḥ | kāmakrodhau vaśe kṛtvā ninīṣedbrahmaṇaḥ padam

With sin shaken off, radiant, light in his eating, master of his senses, bringing desire and anger under his sway, he should wish to lead himself to the state of Brahman.

Verse 18 (12.280.18)

अमूढत्वमसङ्गित्वं कामक्रोधविवर्जनम् । अदैन्यमनुदीर्णत्वमनुद्वेगो व्यवस्थितिः ॥

amūḍhatvamasaṅgitvaṃ kāmakrodhavivarjanam | adainyamanudīrṇatvamanudvego vyavasthitiḥ

Freedom from bewilderment, non-attachment, giving up desire and anger, freedom from dejection, absence of excitement, freedom from agitation, and steadiness.

Verse 19 (12.280.19)

एष मार्गो हि मोक्षस्य प्रसन्नो विमलः शुचिः । तथा वाक्कायमनसां नियमः कामतोऽन्यथा ॥

eṣa mārgo hi mokṣasya prasanno vimalaḥ śuciḥ | tathā vākkāyamanasāṃ niyamaḥ kāmato'nyathā

This is the path of liberation, clear, stainless and pure; and so too is the restraint of speech, body and mind, practised otherwise than out of desire.”